Bank Maur cashes in with Alister Clark Stakes win
The Richie Laming stable always saw Bank Maur’s potential to deliver a big payday, and he did just that in the Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Craig Newitt showed all his experience to time the gelding’s run home to perfection, hitting the front with 50m to go in the Group 2 feature worth $750,000.
The three-year-old colt held off Suizuro from there, winning by three quarters of a length.
It could well have been a coming of age for the developing stayer who finished eighth – 1 ½ lengths behind winner Golden Mile – in last year’s Caulfield Guineas.
He was also an impressive runner-up to Jacquinot, pipped at the post in the Ive Manfred Stakes at Sandown on January 26.
After taking advantage of the No.1 barrier on Saturday, Bank Maur now has three wins from nine starts.
“I think drawing a decent gate definitely helped,” stable representative Tara Taggart told HorseBetting.com.au.
“(Newitt) was able to put him in the race early, and he settled in lovely in behind them right on speed.
“It was the first time he drew a good gate in a while.
“He’s always shown good ability. In his first start he won, and he always looked like he was going to be progressive.
“But last prep he was still very immature mentally and physically.”
2023 Alister Clark Stakes – Bank Maur (1st)
Laming’s stable staff now have a good collective headache.
They have to make a call on whether or not Bank Maur should go to the Group 1 Australian Derby over 2400m at Randwick on April 1.
“Hopefully now he might be able to press on and run in a Derby. I just don’t know which one,” Taggart said.
“He’s always promised that he can deliver the goods. This track (Moonee Valley) has a bit more cushion in it – Flemington has not been helpful to him.
“The tracks have been very firm and it worked against him.
“But this track really helped him.”
Taggart praised Laming’s perseverance and calmness in the way he helped Bank Maur mature from last preparation.
“He (Laming) can be very patient, and when you do get a decent horse it’s really important,” she said.
“He’s made some good decisions over this horse’s preparation.
“He held him back last prep, and then decided we’ll push on this preparation.
“Being patient has definitely worked. Hopefully going forward he’ll be able to get that Group 1.
“And wow, he’ll be worth a bit of money. There are people out there who have already made offers for the horse.”
Taggart also runs her own stable, with her eight-year-old gelding Fonteinbolt runner-up to Costa Maya by the barest of margins in the Alexandra Cup on Saturday.
“I had some bad luck – I had a runner first-up who was the second-favourite. My horse was coming,” she said.
After only getting a few hours of shut-eye on Friday night before Fonteinbolt’s misfortune, it is fair to say Taggart earned her victory celebrations on All-Star Mile Day at Moonee Valley.
“I had three hours sleep, and I had to get up at 2am and run the stable and get here,” she said.
“I had Cecil St Lad running (ninth in race two at Moonee Valley), and my two going to Alexandra (Lesedi also finished sixth in race one) and I had to bring Bank Maur.
“I wear a lot of caps.”